


Chamber Six

by Lonely_Dreamer



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Found Family, Government Conspiracy, Heavy Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27384442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonely_Dreamer/pseuds/Lonely_Dreamer
Summary: Life after the collapse wasn't easy. Not everyone made it. Rylan had watched friends die in horrible ways. Sometimes that was just the way it was. Looking after yourself was the priority. Even if that meant taking the lives of others. Sometimes that was all you could do to make ends meet.





	1. The story

It was a story I had heard countless times before. A story of anarchy, of terrorism. A story of a group of criminals with the intent of destabilising the already weakened nation. It was the same story they told everyone. I knew the real story, I had seen it firsthand. I had watched the real story play out in front of me, wrapping itself around the people close to me, squeezing the life out of them as I watched on. It was a story I was pleased to be disrupting. I don't normally familiarise myself too much with my targets, or my clients, but this was an exception. My good friend had been happily married until the collapse. His wife had chosen security over spouse when things went south. Ironic, as it was that decision that led me to breach the security. I'm not a good person, but I have a mouth to feed, and work these days is scarce. I took whatever opportunities I could, until I found a proficiency for what I do now, and settled into a career of it. Everyone is seated, ready for today's round of propaganda bullshit. If my information is correct, she'll be seated in the third row. I try not to think of her as the woman for whom I was best man, but as the woman who threw one of my closest friends to the wolves, it's easier that way. I don't normally go around on personal vendettas, it neither pays the bills, nor makes it easy. This is an exception, it hits rather close to home. I try not to think about it too much. I put my earphones in so I don't even hear the shot. If I didn't do that I wouldn't have much hearing left. I don't know how long I've been doing this. Time flows freely in my world, passing as it pleases, I don't even know if it's night or day. I had made my way into this cursed hall many days ago, or was it hours? I do not concern myself with the passage of time, every action is done through the quickest method, every wait waited in the most patient way. I did my waiting ever since I breached the walls of this place, now it's time for action. This place used to be a theatre, I make the same usage of the lighting rig as I did on the way in, dropping onto the unoccupied sound deck, right by the door. From there it's a simple case of making my exit from this place. I wish not to linger any longer than I must, this place holds tragic memories for me, and the time for dredging them up is not now. I move into behind a support beam to avoid a passing patrol, carrying another casualty. I'm sure it'll be the same old story. 'The unruly bandits who cast their shadow over the citizens of this nation.' They said the same thing that day. It's a load of rubbish. I had to drop off the grid after that, you don't get witness protection against the government. I try to ignore the sickening noise as the poor victim is dropped against the marble floor, staining it with blood. I instead take the opportunity to make my way to the window I left open. My look turns sour as I find that someone has closed it. Sliding back down the pole proves a mistake as I land on top of an officer trying to covertly light up a cigarette. We look at each other for a number of seconds. It's one of life's many intricacies. Two men, in completely different situations. But making actions along the same principle. He gives me a nod and I give him the same, making my way across the large entrance hall to the main lobby. I wonder if he holds a similar disfavour towards the government as mine. Maybe he just wanted a smoke. It's crazy how different our actions are, and that we would both be shot on sight by an officer for them. I couldn't get by with all the rules as it was, but it was the only way that existed. Once I saw for myself what was really going on, I had to make my own way. It's not always the most comfortable lifestyle, but it beats being another 'casualty'. I stop my train of thought before it calls at the memories of that person. I can't lost focus now. I arrive at the main lobby, lingering in the corridor to avoid being spotted. I can't exactly walk out of the front door with Ash on my back. News will have spread about the attack by now, although I'm sure it's been played up as some huge military offensive. Even so, a man with a rifle strapped to his back is probably not something a guard would look past. I needed a distraction, and so I waited in hope in the corridor that something would happen on the other side of the main lobby. In keeping with my usual misfortune, no such luck. I felt a tap on my shoulder, turning to see three guards who must have snuck up behind me. I didn't even think before reflexively sprinting for the door. They tried to call out to the guard on the door, but I was quicker. I delivered a swift kick to his chest, knocking him back for long enough to make my escape onto the crowded streets outside. I walked briskly through the crowd, making for the wall on the outskirts of the government compound. I pass through the winding crowd, it provides a perfect cover. A guard fires in the air from the stairs of the theatre. The crows starts running off in varying directions and I am knocked to the ground. I scramble to my feet and make a break for the wall. As strong as it is, it is still a shoddily crafted mass of badly-cut rocks, and there are plenty of places where a hole or foothold occurs. My climb over is mercifully uninterrupted, as I make my re-entry into the wasteland that plagues the majority of this country. It's a long walk home.


	2. The Blackguard

I reached home around sundown. I use the term 'home' loosely, but it is all I have now. I watched the plane go down as a result of military action. That was when I realised that what I saw was just the tip of the iceberg. It wasn't a small plane. I had to offload all one hundred and thirty seven deceased passengers, I will admit I had history of unconventional decor, but I didn't want to wake up to that. I found out shortly afterwards that they had suspected one of the passengers of being a spy. So they shot down the entire plane, killing all aboard. The government disgusts me. I made some adjustments of my own, and it made for a nice shelter. It was pretty spacious, which allowed for storage of the things I stole and scavenged. Little projects for when I had nothing to do. It was nice to have time to relax after a tense day at work. Today was not that day, as was announced by the knock on the side of my humble dwelling. I made my way out and found myself face to face with a man dressing in all black, hiding his face with a bandana. "I heard you deal with people who have expended their usefulness." He said simply. I nodded, wary of his movements and appearance. He handed me a manila folder, which I opened, finding an enlarged photo and a photocopy of a identity card. It seemed relaxation would have to wait. "He will be waiting at the Grand Plaza bus stop in two and a half hours. Name your price. I am willing to pay whatever is necessary." Straight down to business, just how I liked it. I had no problems tolerating emotional people, as many of my clients were, but it was nice to get a client like this every once in a while. No beating around the bush, no fond memories to hang over my conscience. It seemed he was willing to pay whatever I asked. Even so, I would not charge an extortionate amount. What did I need? I glance over to one of my projects in the corner. "I need a type twenty three distributor, do you have one?" He took out a notepad and flipped through a few pages, before putting it away and shaking his head. "I don't have one, but I know a scrap dealer who will." I nodded, handing back the folder. "Should I come back in, say, four hours?" I nodded, that should give me enough time to do the deed and get away. He walked off, leaving me to my peace. The city was an hour out on foot. That gave me time to plan my approach. I took out my map of the city, placing it on my workbench. There was a building near the Grand Plaza, the opposite side of the bus stop, that would do. It was a building I knew intricately, marked on the map with a red X and marked in my brain with painful memories. There was no time to get bogged down with reminiscing, that could wait until after the job. 

The back of the building was just as it had been that day. They hadn't even bothered to change the code to the back door. At least it made it easy. The stairs were polished, no trace of the spilled blood there had once been. Making my way to the roof access stairwell, I heard a worker around a corner, quickly ducking through a random door to avoid detection. I turned to look at my surroundings and instantly regretted it. The office belonged to someone else now, no trace of the pictures of me that once did sit upon that hardwood desk. Even the group photo on the wall had been replaced in my absence. That was a blessing in a way, the old picture would've contained that person. That day was already in the back of my mind from being here, the last thing I needed was for it to occupy more space in the back of my mind. I moved swiftly on from that room, not wanting to get too caught up in past affairs. The stairwell to the roof was unlocked as usual, the employees were supposed to keep it locked, but it would seem some things never change. I heard rain outside, it must have started while I was climbing the stairs. I made the decision to check my equipment inside, out of the rain. It had been a great deal of time since I was last here, but something felt definitively off. I took a quick look around the room, being careful to remain completely silent. I could barely make it out in the dark, but there seemed to be a person sat in the corner. This complicated things, I couldn't take the shot from the roof. I had to take it from somewhere, and there was only one place that sprung to mind. I headed back down the roof access stairs and ducked back into that office. It was steeped in memories for me, but it had an east-facing window. It gave me an almost comically perfect view of the bus stop. The windows weren't supposed to open in this building, but a little bit of handiwork had been done on this office. I lifted the corner of the carpet to reveal the latch, the corner of the window swinging open as I lifted it. It had originally been created to let cool air in, however its duty today was to let Ash's barrel out. The appointed time came, thirty minutes past five, and there was no sign of the target at the bus stop. I prepared to wait some more in case the target was late. The door behind me opened as I shot up with a start. The target had finally arrived. But not at the bus stop. Behind him stood the client, black attire as before. The target pulled out a handgun and pointed it at me from the door. "I don't appreciate people who try to kill me." He stated. This was quite the predicament I had found myself in. The man in black didn't seem to be armed, or if he was he hadn't drawn his weapon yet. The target was walking towards me, a cruel smile on his face. I had done my waiting, it was time to act. I closed the gap in a fraction of a second, taking my knife to his wrist, his gun falling to the floor. I turned to see the client trying to lunge at me, my knife finding it's way into his shoulder. He dropped to the floor as I delivered a swift right hand to the target's face, causing him to stumble back and trip over the desk. I took this opportunity to run the window and grab Ash before heading straight out of the door. I heard feet on the stairs and pushed the elevator buttons frantically. I ducked in as soon as the doors opened, jamming the button for the ground level. Once the doors had closed, I relaxed, if only for a second. A flash of movement caught my eye as I dodged to the opposite side of the elevator, anticipating an attack from the unidentified assailant. I recognised him as the man in the roof stairwell from earlier. He had drawn his knife, but was simply using it to shave his chin. I spotted some sort of bird insignia on his knife for a millisecond, but fled out of the elevator the moment it hit ground level. He followed me out at a walking pace, acting nonchalant as if he hadn't just been in a confined space with a man with a gun. There were armed units swarming out front, so I took the back door out, praying it would be unguarded. No such luck, I counted seven guns aimed at me the moment I stepped through the door. My eyes went wide as I realised that this could be it. I flung myself back at the door and slammed it shut behind me with all my might. There had to be some way out of this mess. I hid behind the door as it opened, counting all seven through before making my move. It was there that I ran into the man again. "Who are you?" He demanded, approaching me with knife in hand. I grabbed the hand he had wrapped around the knife and threw myself at him, knocking him down as I stumbled, doing everything I could to keep my balance as I climbed over the chainlink fence and dropped down into the bushes below.


End file.
